Gulf Map

Map of Gulf, NC from recollections of locals.Note coal vein and vent shafts. These were both sealed off recently due to risk of injury.

Haughton-McIver House

Interesting old place with quite a distinguished history. Click link to learn more Haughton-McIver House  http://www.bellehavre.com/History.html

Security Update

Brian Greene will soon install a gate at the property entrance. Everyone will continue to have access but trespassers will hopefully be discouraged. There was recent damage to the back gate but Mike Packer repaired it quickly.

The front gate will be more difficult to damage because it is visible from Plank road. Now that satellite images are easily available, individuals looking for a route to the river can easily spot the main road. This is what happened recently when Charles Thompson, a police officer in his squad car, was seen by Mike Packer well down the main road. He told Mike that he saw the road and decided to drive down it. He was not aware of issues and did not drive down it for any other purpose.

Gulf Presbyterian Church

Gulf Presbyterian Church was organized in January of l882 by members of Buffalo and Euphronia Presbyterian Churches. John M McIver who had been an elder at Euphronia was elected the first elder and J Giles Foushee l864 the first deacon.


The Methodist Church on Plank road is ancient also, but no information is available on it in the Willcox book.

Gulf Map 1851

This is an interesting old map of Gulf, NC (originally Gulph). It is in the George W. Willcox book about the area. Current maps show the entrance of Indian Creek at "the point" of RiverBend plantation. The course of the River seems different from this map, but I doubt that the riverbed has changed. More likely, the river was drawn out and its course simplified by the mapmaker. This places the Palmer plantation of 1,000 acres at RB and the Logan property.

Robert Palmer purchased the property in 1814 from Lewis LeRoy who purchased it from William Williams the brother of  Benjamin Williams who owned the property originally. Benjamin was governor of NC (1799) and the second owner of the House in the Horseshoe first owned by Philip Alston. RiverBend was once owned by the Governor of NC and before that, the Tuscarora tribe.

Appraisal Appeal

Several landowners were advised yesterday that their property appraisal had been re-adjusted. In my case this was less than I paid for the property originally.

History Buff Alert

While visiting JR Moore store recently, I discovered that in addition to managing  their marvelous store, they are area historians.

I learned that Wilcox Iron works is nearby. See Historical Marker. Also, in the 1930s Gulf was a thriving community with Doctors, Lawyers, banks. It was the end of the barge traffic on deep river and also directly on Plank road. It grew and was thriving, but eventually failed because all of the property was owned by 3 plantations in the area, and they refused to sell any land to new comers.

During the American Revolution the House in the Horseshoe played an important role and was the inspiration for the movie "The Patriot" even though it was filmed in SC. A regiment of the Continental Army had a winter encampment about 100 yards from the Presbyterian church on plank road. This is the first church on the left as you drive from Gulf to the RiverBend entrance.

A History of the House in the Horseshoe: Her People and Her Deep River Neighbors. George W. Willcox  Hardcover: 667 pages Publisher: Historical Research Services (1999) Language: English ISBN-10: 1570875073 ISBN-13: 978-1570875076